spark

So glorious in the imp! Sangria perhaps -- a rich round fruitness with something sparkling and lovely coming through. And it lasts on my skin that way for about 15 minutes... beautiful golden fruit. And then it fades to little more than a generic sweetness. Miraculously, the jasmine never arrives, but neither does much else. My skin has a tendency to swallow scent nuances, and Versailles is another victim.

Once again either my skin or my nose fails me. La Belle is all sweet pear on my wrist -- sparkling and lovely but oh so simple. It also fades quite rapidly. I thought about doing the slather test, but I already have a plumeria & pear scent (Thalia: Good Cheer) that I love. If something in La Belle doesn't go quite right for you, try Thalia! (Not Thaleia... )

The good news: Kuang Shi does NOT go bitterly smoky on my skin, which is what usually happens with white sandalwood. The bad news: Kuang Shi has a weird neroli scent to my nose. I can't stand neroli. Interestingly, Kuang Shi actually smells exactly like Katharina -- perhaps the "neroli" I am smelling in both of them is actually the combination of white musk and fruit. (Katharina is "white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom.") So if you like Katharina -- or come really close to liking it but something goes wrong -- try Kuang Shi.

I've tried Black Dahlia several times because I love orchid scents, but jasmine does not go well for me, and I can't seem to get a handle on this one. On the first test: I get mostly jasmine, I think, but it's nice. On the second test: Wet, it's a pretty sweet floral, but maybe a bit dark underneath. I can pick up some orchid. On the third test: Wet, it's a heavy floral, like I expect jasmine to be on me. It's OK but not great. It dries to a spicy powdery sweetness. I don't get any orchid this time. I never really get any magnolia or rose from this one, and my nose almost never picks up Beth's amber. I think I have to break down and accept that Black Dahlia is, on my skin, the usual Jasmine Explosion.

Wet: Sweet greenery. It's quite pretty. As it dries it gets more bitter on the skin; at that point it's an amazingly genuine dandelion scent. The waft of the scent is still sweet, though -- the bitterness stays close to the skin. After a couple hours the bitterness fades too, and I'm left with a nice neutral green dandelion scent. There may be a touch of hops at this point, but mostly I feel like I've been rolling in dandelions all day. Definitely unique!

Sigh. Yet another rum scent that turns to water on me... I was so hoping for the F54 feeling! Instead Santo Domingo hits my skin and morphs into a watery spice, just as Baron Samedi and Port-Au-Prince do. My nose is unable to pick up flowers, tobacco, or anything else interesting. Next!

I personally think Wildfire is -- it's the child of Red Moon and Othello. But it may not be any easier to find!

I think the new "default" for spicy foody yumminess is BENGAL! Yum.

Block Buster and Harvest Moon '05 remind me of each other. But keep in mind that Harvest Moon '04 and '05 have significant differences.

It didn't have a Lab label, so it's presumably either a decant or non-BPAL... but the Lab hasn't released Ceylon in bottles, so it's probably not a decant. I'd guess it isn't BPAL.

Isn't Ceylon the old name for Sri Lanka?

Kali is one of my top 3. I actually get very little rose or floral... on me it's all cocoa (not "sweet" chocolate), honey, and wine. I luuuurve it.

I'll echo the London recommendation -- it's darker and richer to me, but some people find it lighter. It could go "pink" or "dark" on you. For dark, Othello is a possibility. Some people get more musk from it. I get very dark rich sexy gorgeous roses.

Mmmm... 13... 13 is a great scent. I ended up giving a bottle to my best friend's 70+ year-old mom, she loved it on me so much!

I'll chime in that ankle skin is probably a little tougher (even though it hurts like a U*(IAWRJKIJNHIFAE$WR to wax it). But another thing to keep in mind, although it doesn't sound like your problem here, is that skin is generally more sensitive right out of the shower. For example, I can't apply Samhain right when I dress. I have to wait 1/2 an hour or so. Still, I'd be careful with the R'Lyeh: itchy/burny red splotchies are one thing; an actual RASH that has to heal is entirely another!

Actually I have tried Athens and it was all honey sweet. I have Nosferatu around here somewhere. I think I tried it once but I'll dig it out. I'm not into earth but I don't notice it in Zombi and love Queen of Clubs, so it's worth a shot. I have tried Lady Mac and Tintagel, too, to tell you the truth, but I don't have any notes about them. I don't think it "registered" that I like wine until I smelled Wanda on my collar.

Wet: Mint and something... most likely lotus. However, Nine Mysteries dries down to a very clear violet. The mint and lotus vanish completely after an hour or so, and I am left with a lovely light violet.

Wet: DAMN this is sweet! As it dries, I get some hints of nuttiness. But overall, Gluttony doesn't seem to change too much as it wears. It's not a bad scent, but pales in comparison to my (hoarded) Sugar Skull. Pass.

The search for a wearable jasmine continues... New Orleans goes on and stays on as a heavy, heavy jasmine. (Jasmine tends to do this on my skin.) There is a touch of "decay" underneath it, so as best as I can tell with my chemisty, this is very well done. Sadly, though, my chemistry ruins it.

I believe Egyptian musk is also in Othello (my beloved).

I must be one of the few who don't like Alice... To be fair, Alice was a comparison test: I was looking for carnation, and I don't like it as much as Desdemonda and Maiden. Alice went on rather watery and stayed that way. I suspect this is due to the particular version of rose it contains. Sadly, Alice gave me no milk, honey, nor creaminess. Just a watery blandness.

Oakmoss, as opposed to Spanish Moss, is very dry and dirty -- it's very much an earth/dirt smell. (Spanish Moss is very green and lovely.) It's quite strong, as well, which surprises me because I haven't picked up this scent in the moss blends I've tried -- the only time I smell moss in moss blends is when Spanish Moss is present. Not a keeper.

I found Sweet Grass to be extremely lemony, which was a surprise -- I was not able to pick out anything like fresh-mown lawn or dry hay or anything else. Just lemon.

Holy cow. I suppose I should have guessed that this would be GINGER. It is not gingerbread. It is not sweet. There are no other spices. It is just ginger, strong as all heck. I enjoy ginger in blends. This frightens me.

For your purposes: London. Hands down. I love rose, so I love Zombi -- but that's green and mossy. Othello -- but it has some musk. I do not like the Empress... too watery. Persephone and Blood Rose are very round and fruity. Lovely, but not "pure" rose. You want London. Trust me on this. Oh -- haven't seen any rec's for Lucy's Kiss, but that one's just wimpy.